Evidently the ancient Romans agreed, because they used graftingtechniques to develop more than 50 varieties. Since then, hundredsof varieties have been developed.

Of all those varieties, California grows America’s favorite --the juicy and sweet Bartlett. This teardrop-shaped pear isfine-grained, with a buttery texture. Thanks to imports, pears areavailable year-round but they are typically associated with fall,because that’s when most of the American harvest comes in.

Other common pear varieties you’ll find at the market includeAnjou, Bosc, Comice and red Bartletts. Sometimes it is difficult tofigure out which pear is which, so for easy identification simplyremember these basic facts. Anjou pears are pale green, almostalways oval and have a very short neck. Spicy-flavored Bosc pearsare tan colored and have long, tapered necks. Comice pears arelarge and fat and have thick yellow-green skin that is sometimesblushed with red. Red Bartletts have bright red skins.

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Pears are one of the few fruits that don’t ripen successfully onthe tree. They are harvested by hand when they reach full maturitybut before they are ripe.

Handle pears gently -- and watch to see that the person baggingyour groceries doesn’t put them in the bottom of the bag -- becausethey are very fragile. Select pears that are firm, and reject thosethat are rock-hard because they’ll most likely rot before theyripen. Choose ones that are free of cuts and bruises. You should beable to detect the pear’s characteristic aroma.

At home, always ripen pears at room temperature. As they ripen,the stem end will wrinkle slightly and soften slightly. When fullyripe, pears are at their ripest, juiciest and most flavorful stage.At this point they can be refrigerated to slow furtherripening.

Whether you are calorie-conscious, looking for ways to eat morehealthy foods, or you simply want a sweet snack, reach for a pear.Besides delicious taste, pears are a source of fiber, potassium andvitamin C. Fresh pears have no cholesterol, sodium or saturatedfat.

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For best results when cooking with pears, such as in this recipethat follows, use fruit that is still a bit firm. Pears can betossed in salads, made into jelly, jam or preserves, used indesserts and other

baked creations.

If you want to serve an easy, delicious pear dessert, this isthe one. It is from “The Whole Foods Market Cookbook” (ClarksonPotter Publishers).

Maple Baked Pears with Rolled Oats Crust

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4 medium pears, ripe but firm

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 pound plus 2 tablespoons butter, melted

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1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the unpeeled pears in half,and remove and discard the seeds and stems. Cut into 1/2-inch-thickslices. Place the fruit in a large bowl and toss with the lemonjuice.

Place the pears in a 9 x 12-inch baking dish. Pour the maplesyrup and the 2 tablespoons melted butter over the sliced fruit,and gently mix in with a fork.

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamonand remaining melted butter. Mix with fork until crumbly. Sprinkleover the fruit. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, until the crust isgolden brown and the fruit is tender. Serve warm for best flavor.Serves 8.